(YouTube)
Videos began to emerge Tuesday night of the alleged aftermath of a chemical weapons attack on the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar. The Syrian rebels have accused President Assad’s army of carryign out the “massive” attack. They claim the attack utilized Sarin nerve gas, which has been banned worldwide since the Geneva Convention in 1945.
The Daily Mail has a helpful sidebar explaining the effects and properties of Sarin gas.
Sarin is colourless, tasteless and odourless, unlike mustard gas which smells of rotten onions or garlic. It is one of the most toxic of the known chemical warfare agents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Once a person has breathed in Sarin, death can occur within one to 10 minutes if there is no treatment. If it is drunk, the victim can survive for up to 18 hours.
A fraction of an ounce of the nerve agent on the skin can be fatal. Exposure to the gas causes pupils to shrink to pinpoint sizes and foaming at the lips.
Symptoms include paralysis, loss of consciousness and respiratory failure.
Treatment needs to be given straight away and antidotes include Atropine and pralidoxime chloride.
Syria is believed to have one of the largest arsenals in the world of chemical weapons, including Sarin and mustard gas.
Although the government denies the attack, the number of dead varies and continues to rise. According to the Washington Post, the Syrian Opposition Coalition puts the number at at least 1,300 casualties. The opposition Damascus Media Office claims the number sits a bit lower at 1,000 dead. But the British-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights has only confirmed at least 100 people killed at this time.
According to The Daily Mail doctors on the scene do not have the right medication or equipment to treat the victims of the attack.
“We have been receiving reports that the doctors in the field hospitals do not have the right medication to treat these cases and that they were treating people with vinegar and water,” said Nisreen El-Shamayleh, an Al Jazeera reporter working from the neighboring state of Jordan.
Videos began emerging late last night of the alleged aftermath. These VERY GRAPHIC clips allegedly show a number of men and women laying dead on the floor, some with foam on their mouths. Some people appear to be suffering, with other attempting to help them. Another video shows a young child victim of the alleged attack, staring blankly at the ceiling and shaking uncontrollably among a group of other deceased-looking children.
All four videos were posted by YouTube user HAMMORIAFOREVER.
Again, these videos are very graphic. Please use your discretion when viewing.
Two additional videos found by the Daily Dot not only allegedly show the attack taking place, but also shows immediate aftermath of the attack from the streets. Again, these images may be very graphic.
The UN Security Council is held an emergency meeting on the alleged gas attack Wednesday afternoon, according to Reuters.
This attack occurred just two days after a U.N. chemical weapons investigative nevoy arrived in Khan al-Asal, the city near Aleppo where, on March 19, allegedly suffered the first widely reported chemical weapons attack that killed 31 people.
